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Golden State Killer Suspect Joseph DeAngelo Now Charged With 12 Murders
Joseph James DeAngelo has now been charged with all 12 murders the Golden State Killer was suspected of from the 1970s and 80s.
New murder charges were filed against Joseph DeAngelo, the ex-cop turned serial rapist and murderer suspect, on Thursday which means he is now charged with all 12 murders attributed to the Golden State Killer.
Santa Barbara District Attorney Joyce Dudley announced the new murder chargers on Thursday. Previously, he had not been charged in Santa Barbara County.
"I have decided to file four counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances against Joseph James DeAngelo. Each of the four counts carries multiple allegations each of the four counts carry the potential for a sentence of life without possibility of parole or the death sentence," she said during a press conference.
DeAngelo is accused of murdering two couples in Santa Barbara County: Robert Offerman and Alexandria Manning in 1979 and Cheri Domingo and Gregory Sanchez in 1981.
RELATED: A Timeline Of The Golden State Killer's Crimes
DeAngelo, 72, had previously been charged with eight counts of murder blamed on the Golden State Killer, crimes that sprawled from Sacramento all the way to Southern California, including two in Sacramento County, two in Ventura County and four in Orange County.
Dudley noted during the press conference that DeAngelo is presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, she did say this: "Justice delayed is justice denied. This has been a very long process for the victims."
DeAngelo has made his court appearances in his wheelchair squinting and quiet. There has been speculation that it’s all an act.
Paul Holes, a recently-retired investigator with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, discussed the Golden State Killer case at a Crimecon panel earlier this month in Nashville and said, “He’s intelligent and sophisticated. He realizes he’s not going to get out but he’s going to try and self-preserve. The wheelchair is part of that strategy.”
Holes said that while staking out DeAngelo, authorities realized he’s physically fit for his age.
“Don’t believe this guy that you see being wheeled into court. That’s not who he is,” Holes said. “He has numerous registered guns in his house and he’s been going to the range to keep up his proficiency.”
RELATED: Are Joseph DeAngelo’s Court Appearances in a Wheelchair Part of An Act?
His only comment since his arrest has been unrelated to the charges. Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones told the Sacramento Bee that when DeAngelo was arrested, he only had one comment for police: "I have a roast in the oven."
Reuters contributed to this report.
[Photo: Reuters]
